Practice
by MsLane
Summary: Pezberry friendship. mentions of Faberry/Brittana. 3x05 only because of the musical West Side Story. Santana stays after school to practice for her role as Anita.


_**A/N: Random one shot. Based on the fact that both Santana and Rachel would have had to practice for their musical a lot. I figured Santana was the type to really put her all into it and practice more than she let on.**_

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><p>"A boy like that who'd kill your brother, forget that boy and find another, one of your own kind stick to your own kind."<p>

She pauses and waits for the music, taking deep breaths and controlling her emotions, "A boy like that wants one thing only and when he's done he'll leave you lonely. He'll murder your love her murdered mine. Just wait and see just wait Maria just wait and see!"

She sweeps her arm and swiftly turns away from where 'Maria' would be sitting and looking up at her. She delivers the line flawlessly and takes a deep breath and walks back towards the CD player and restarts the song. She sighs as she looks at the time. It's late and she knows it but she needs to practice. She can't at home, as much as she would love to be able to, she needs the space, she needs the stage beneath her feet, to actually feel the vast space she needs to fill with her voice.

A sound catches her attention off stage, "You're very good Santana. I didn't think you'd be here practicing."

Her brow furrows as she swallows the lump that formed in her throat, "What are you doing here?"

Rachel shrugs her shoulders as she walks ever closer arms folded in front of her as if to form a protective barrier, "I heard you singing on my way from the choir room, I thought maybe…if you wanted that is, we could practice together?"

Santana weighs her options and Rachel takes the silence as a no. She smiles at the cheerleader and nods her head in silent understanding, "I see. It's alright, I suppose you _have_ had enough of me practicing this song with you through the day, you'd rather go through this on your own without my presence. Have a good night Santana."

Rachel turns to leave and is stopped by a sudden movement that has Santana a lot closer to her body than before, "Rachel no. It's okay. I mean. Stay. Sing with me."

Rachel turns back around and sees Santana standing slightly to her side looking at her with wide eyes, her guard somewhat let down; Rachel can see the hopefulness even though she's trying to hide it. Rachel smiles at her and bites her lip, "Are you sure? Because I don't want to make you uncomfortable or angry at me when we get into this. I'd much rather we be able to continue being able to work together fondly instead of having you resort back to your old ways just because of this added practice."

Santana rolls her eyes and scoffs, "Look. This…this is a big deal to me alright? So like I don't know just shut up and stay with me and stop being so diva-like. I'm not gonna 'resort back' or whatever."

Rachel offers a small grin and nods her head, "Very well then. Do you want to start us off?"

Raising an eyebrow amusedly, "I kind of have to don't I hobbit? I lead us into the duet."

Rachel chuckles somewhat embarrassed and doesn't say anything choosing instead to take a few steps back towards the side of the bed frame that's placed on the stage and waits for her cue.

The music starts up and once again Santana is singing, "A boy like that who'd kill your brother, forget that boy and find another, one of your own kind stick to your own kind." Rachel makes her way to stand right in front of Santana, eyes wide as she takes in the transformation that just occurred right in front of her. Santana starts walking towards her and without missing a beat she starts walking backwards away from her as well.

This is Anita singing to Maria right now. Santana has drawn every single ounce of the Puerto Rican woman she's portraying and is putting her all into it and all Rachel can do is look at her in awe as she continues singing, "A boy like that wants one thing only and when he's done he'll leave you lonely. He'll murder your love her murdered mine."

Santana is standing in front of her leaning towards her as she sings and she's emulating Anita perfectly, the hurt and pain flowing through the words and Rachel is almost too blown away that she almost misses her cue, almost, as Santana takes a seat in the chair beside the bed she's sitting on as she pleads with her to wait, "Just wait and see just wait Maria just wait and see!"

Rachel stands and shakes her head as she takes the lead, "Oh no Anita no, Anita no. It isn't true not for me, it's true for you not for me." She shakes her head as she also tries to put in just as much effort as Santana does, "I hear your words and in my head I know they're smart but my heart Anita but my heart!" Santana watches her and even though she's trying desperately to keep her face from showing her…well not shock but amazement at Rachel's ability her eyes give her away, she still can't believe the voice that comes out of that tiny little body of Rachel's. It gives her goosebumps listening to her sing more often than she'd like to ever admit. "Knows they're wrong. You should know better. You were in love or so you said, you should know better." And just like that Rachel is turning her eyes to look at her once more and she's singing to her and Santana's swallowing another lump in her throat and she has to look away because she really can't take being looked at like that.

They both listen as the music as it goes from strong and demanding to soft and flowing, and Santana glances at Rachel as she sits down on her knees in front of her pleading almost begging her to understand, "I have a love and it's all that I have." She's looking up at her with tear wet eyes and Santana is almost certain Rachel can tell what she's thinking as Rachel goes into the next line, "Right or wrong what else can I do?" Rachel lifts a hand to her heart as her eyes bore into Santana's. She hesitantly places a hand on Santana's knee as she sings the next line, "I love him, I'm his and everything he is, I am too." She looks at her for a second before pushing herself up onto her feet and walks a couple of steps away from the still seated cheerleader.

Santana stands up and walks forward towards the brunette and she gently takes a hold of her hands and squeezes gently, finally admitting as Anita that she understands where she's coming from. Both brunettes take deep breaths before letting them out and singing the next line together.

"When love comes so strong, there is no right or wrong. Your love is your life."

Rachel quickly uses one of her hands to brush a stray tear that made its way down her cheek as they both hit their notes perfectly.

Santana's stomach bursts with excited butterflies. Sure they've been practicing this song for a couple of days now but never on stage together like this and never on their own without getting interrupted. They sound amazing if she does say so herself.

And in a moment of pure abandonment Santana lets out a breath and with that breath she says, "Wow."

Rachel can't help but giggle at the very uncharacteristic exclamation coming from the brunette in front of her and it snaps Santana back to the present where she quickly draws her hand away from Rachel and takes a step back, "You've still got to practice some more to keep up with me stubbles. Don't think I didn't notice you almost missing your cue."

Rachel blushes and shakes her head and then quickly nods, "Of course."

If Santana was being uncharacteristic, then she thinks this is some very good doppelganger because never would the real Rachel Berry ever even slightly admit to being less than perfect.

"What?"

Rachel raises an eyebrow and lifts her shoulders slightly, "I do need to practice, that's what every great star does anyways, and it isn't news. I do so anyways regardless of the size or magnitude of a performance and since this is a rather important one I practice every single day almost all day long. There's nothing wrong with admitting that you work hard to achieve something."

Santana rolls her eyes but only because she's in the habit of doing so around Rachel and not because of what she's saying, "You just admitted that you almost missed your cue. That's not something that happens every day."

Rachel blushes but shrugs it off slightly with a smile, "That is actually your fault."

Santana's eyes widen as she cries out in protest, "What?"

Rachel calmly raises a hand to try and defuse the situation quickly, "I meant because I was just so blown away. When we practiced together before in class and the two hours after school it was great but nothing to the extent of how amazing it was just now. You really drew in everything about Anita and your voice, I mean, you weren't just singing it to sing it just now, you were really immersing yourself in the performance."

Santana shrugs and seeing as there wasn't really anyone else but them around she couldn't see any fault with being herself at least for a little while, "I may or may not have watched West Side Story close to about 20 times in the past few days, not counting the number of times I've watched it since learning that I got the part."

Rachel smiles at her widely and is actually secretly ecstatic that the cheerleader is letting her in. Baby steps. "That's wonderful. You're definitely getting Rita Moreno's mannerisms perfectly with a little Santana Lopez mixed in as well."

To say Santana was shocked would quite possibly be the understatement to end all understatements.

"Was that…Did you just compliment me?"

Rachel laughs and rolls her eyes easily, "Why is everyone always so surprised? You all act as if I don't ever compliment anyone."

Santana shrugs, "You don't."

Rachel takes a seat on the bed and crosses her arms, "I don't? Did I not compliment your voice on its raspy-ness when you sang 'Back to Black'? Did I not even compliment Mercedes when we were competing in our sing-off 'Take Me or Leave Me'? I can continue listing things but I'd feel like you'd think the only reason I did those things was to get compliments, but in truth that isn't what I'm trying to do at all. I'm not a bad person, not really. I just try too hard and want things too much but if I don't then what will I ever achieve? I can't help who I am, just as you can't help who you are, or Quinn who she is. I compliment when I really think it's deserved and I actually mean them as compliments even though sometimes they don't come off as that one hundred percent."

Santana takes a seat on the stool beside the bed and offers a small smile, not knowing why she thinks she can be herself around Rachel right now, "Thank you." The words linger in the air and she said it as clear as day.

Rachel looks at her with wide eyes as she takes in what just transpired between them, "You-You're welcome Santana."

They sit in amicable silence for not longer than a few seconds before Santana abruptly stands up and walks over to the CD player and starts the music for the 'America' number.

She turns back towards Rachel and raises an eyebrow, to which Rachel ducks her head before standing and waiting for her cue with a grin on her face.

"Puerto Rico. My hearts devotion. Let it sink back in the Ocean." She's looking at Rachel with a smirk and Rachel can't help but chuckle at the line regardless of the fact that Anita's crew is supposed to laugh at that as well. Santana's Puerto Rican accent is flawless, she's rolling her R's quite nicely and Rachel grins excitedly as she waits for her turn to sing.

Santana grins as she emulates a tree swaying in a breeze, "Always their hurricane's blowing, always their population growing." She steps and pretends to run a hand over her pregnant stomach. "And the money owing, and the sunlight streaming and the natives steaming. I like the island Manhattan."

Rachel grins and adds, "I know you do!"

Santana smirks both at the line she's about to deliver and the fact that Rachel's accent is better than Puck's and especially Rory's, "Smoke on your pipe and put that in!"

Santana decides to take the part that the rest of the girls would be singing in the actual show, "I like to be in America, okay by me in America, everything free in America!"

Rachel grins, "For a small fee in America." Santana playfully shoves her off and rolls her eyes as she dances around her. The cheerleader can't help that she's pretty impressed with Rachel's ability to roll her R's as well.

"Buying on credit is so nice." Santana pretends to lift the hem of her skirt to show off the material of it.

And Rachel rolls her eyes as she walks over to her, "One look at us and they charge twice!"

Santana takes the next line with a smile on her face as if imagining it, "I'll have my own washing machine!"

Rachel pulls at the imaginary skirt and says, "What will you have though to keep clean?"

Santana lifts her arms above her head as she circles around Rachel, "Skyscrapers bloom in America, Cadillacs zoom in America, Industry boom in America!"

Rachel throws her hands up, "Twelve in a room in America."

Santana rolls her eyes and dances around Rachel, twirling as she does so, "Lots of more housing with more space."

Rachel leans her back against Santana's as she pretends to slam a door, "Lots of door slamming in our face!"

Santana laughs but schools herself quickly, "I'll get a terrace apartment."

Rachel smiles at her fondly before turning it into a cheeky grin, "Better get rid of your accent!" At which they both can't help but laugh at the fact that Rachel was trying to emulate a Puerto Rican with an accent who is trying to _not_ have an accent.

They miss the next few lines but get right back on it as soon as they can.

"If you're a white in America." Rachel finally sings it and they're left to dance during the instrumental part of the song showing off their ability to dance.

"La la la la la America!" Both Santana and Rachel sing that part and then stand opposite each other once again.

"Here you are free and you have pride." Santana says as she thrusts her chest out proud of the fact that she made Rachel fumble for a split second once again.

"Long as you stay on your own side."

Santana smiles as she does a little curtsey, "Free to be anything you choose!"

Rachel scoffs as she folds her arms, "Free to wait tables and shine shoes."

Santana sits down suddenly and turns off the CD player and stops them from continuing.

"Santana?"

Rachel walks towards her cautiously and when she doesn't get lashed out on she continues until she's sitting besides the brunette.

Santana doesn't know what came over her but suddenly she just really couldn't take singing with Rachel anymore like they just were. So carefree and _happy_ as if they were friends, as if she didn't spend most of the time actually telling the shorter girl that she wished she'd disappear, that she wished she'd go away, as if she didn't always insult her in some way. She couldn't go on singing with her and seeing her look at her like she was happy, because she didn't deserve to be looked at that way after all the times she's made her feel inferior.

She's brought out of her thoughts by Rachel gently and cautiously placing a hand on her shoulder, "Santana?"

The cheerleader stiffens slightly yet Rachel doesn't retract her hand. If anything she grips just that little bit more tightly, "What's the matter?"

Santana folds her arms tightly across her chest and glares at the brunette beside her, "I'm not good at that Berry."

Confused Rachel tilts her head to the side and asks gently, "Not good at what?"

Growling Santana rubs her temples, "At this talking shit. Feelings and crap like that."

Rachel gives her a small smile, "I think you are, you just don't like showing that you are."

"What the fuck is that supposed to even mean?"

Rachel shrugs her shoulders and crosses her legs so she's sitting Indian style right beside Santana, "It means I do believe you're actually rather good at talking about things, you're just not used to being able to do so with everyone."

Santana barks out a laugh, "Right, and what makes you the expert?"

Rachel smiles and leans back on her hands, "Regardless of whether you want to believe it or not, I do care about everyone in Glee club. And no I don't really make it my goal to get in everyone's business but I cant help but notice things. I'm not dumb, I've got very good intuition."

Santana raises an eyebrow and stays quiet, so Rachel pushes on with a small disarming smile, "I don't want you to like cut me with your words or even your razor blades for this…"

Santana actually laughs at that and Rachel gives herself a pat on the back for her ability to at least allow Santana to let some of her guards down, "But I think you and I could actually be pretty good friends."

Santana stops laughing and instead has a curious look on her face, "Oh yeah? And what makes you think I want to be friends with you?"

Rachel shrugs her shoulders and bites her lip, "It's not so much as you wanting to be friends as it is that I think we'd be good friends. Regardless of the fact that you may not want to see it, but I think we're actually good for each other. We keep each other grounded and even though it's taking a lot for me to admit it, I like that you can keep up with me intelligently, unlike…"

Santana barks out a laugh as Rachel dwindles off at the end of her sentence, "Unlike Finn you mean."

Rachel nods her head, "Exactly. And honestly I think you like me even though you like insulting me probably just as much as I like singing."

Santana smirks and raises an eyebrow, "Mmm I don't know. What's in it for me?"

Rachel shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly, "I'd be another person you can talk to who would never judge you."

Santana prickles a little at that and Rachel notices, "I'm not trying to hurt you or insult you in any way Santana. Honestly. I just think…Quinn and you don't do the whole feelings thing, I know, you both feel like you need to be tough and strong for each other and since she talks to me I thought why don't you? I know Brittany is more than willing to listen but…maybe it'd be nice to be able to talk to someone else who may or may not play a key role in what's going on…You know?"

Santana folds her arms and locks eyes with the brunette, "You mean how can I talk about Brittany _to_ Brittany?"

Rachel smiles at her brightly, "Exactly. I want to hear all about how amazingly wonderful she is from you, and I'm sure she appreciates hearing it from you but sometimes it's nice to gush about her to someone else."

Santana bites her lip and then tightens her hold on herself as she quietly says, "No one really knows. I mean I guess everyone guesses or thinks they know but they don't really know because we've never actually like said anything. I'm not. I'm scared."

Rachel leans forward since Santana is whispering and her voice gets chocked up at the end and Rachel gently pries her arms open and takes hold of both her hands, "What're you scared of?"

Santana takes a deep breath, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Rachel doesn't expect that at all and she blinks back her surprise before finally collecting herself, "What?"

Santana clears her throat and looks her in the eyes, "Why are you being so nice. After all didn't you say that they only job I'd have is working on a pole? Not saying I didn't kinda deserve that after everything I've ever done and said to you but I mean it's not like I deserve any of it."

Rachel shuffles a little bit closer and her eyes bore into Santana's and they look so remorseful, "I want to apologize for that, truly. That was an incredibly low point for me and I can't count the number of times I've wanted to apologize for saying that. I did not mean it in the slightest except to hurt you and even then I didn't really want to it just kind of erupted, I'm not making any excuse for myself though. I'm really sorry Santana. Could you maybe find it in yourself to maybe forgive me?"

Santana looks at her as if she just suddenly grew an extra head with shockingly green hair.

"You're asking me to forgive you?"

Rachel nods her head slowly, "I know you may not believe me but I really am sorry and I will do pretty much anything to show you I really am sorry and that I didn't mean it. I stood up for you once and I thought that that bonded us at least so we'd be less antagonistic with each other and then I went and said something like that and I guess it just put us right back to where we started. And I just really am sorry. You're amazing Santana, and I really do believe that you can do anything. Sure you're a little bit rough around the edges but that doesn't take away from the fact that you're unbelievably loyal and actually very smart and."

Santana raises her hand and gently places it over Rachel's mouth to shut her up, "I've been calling your name now for the better part of your little speech and apparently when you get this way the only way to get your attention is to physically shut you up." Santana takes a breath and gently removes her hand slowly, "Honestly I can't believe you're asking for my forgiveness."

Santana notices a flash of hurt pass through Rachel's eyes and quickly continues, "Only because you really don't have to ask for it. I mean hell I've been a freakin bitch to you for forever and you still have the ability to not retaliate as much as I'd think anyone else in your position would. No one in your place would even feel sorry about what you said, or even think they needed to apologize. This is messed up beyond belief!"

She exclaims as she huffs and leans back before leaning forward and placing her head in her hands, looking at Rachel curiously, "I'm the one who should be apologizing and yet here you are thinking it's _you_ that needs to do something to fix things so we can be friends."

Rachel scoffs slightly and shakes her head, "I know I need to do something to fix things. I said something rather terrible and this is me trying to apologize for it."

Santana lifts a hand and takes a hold of Rachel's rather animated one, "I forgive you."

Rachel eyes their joined hands and then looks up at Santana and gives her a genuine smile in return, "Good in that case there's nothing stopping us from being able to be friends now."

Santana shakes her head, "Hold the fuck up Berry. I need to do my apologizing. Or something. I don't know I mean I've never really apologized to anyone outside of Brittany and Quinn and even then it was mostly Brittany."

Rachel shakes her head, "No you really don't need…"

Santana cuts her off abruptly, "Yes I do really need to. I've been a bitch to you. And I guess seeing as we'll be working on this play a lot and we'll need to see a lot more of each other it makes sense to at least work things out right? I mean Anita and Maria are like the best of friends or whatever seein as her brother's supposed to be her boyfriend right? I mean that makes for pretty good friends and I mean watching the movie…anyway the point is. I'm sorry. I'm not sayin that it's gonna be easy. Hell you make targeting your hella easy, _especially_ because of your fashion sense."

Rachel smiles at her and tilts her head, "I thought I've been getting better. Quinn has gotten rid of a _lot_ of my animal sweaters."

Santana laughs, "Good, and maybe I'll be able to get you to get rid of the rest of them."

Rachel smiles at her and nods her head, "I know this isn't going to be easy but I really am glad we're trying at least. I _know_ you aren't a bad person."

Santana nods her head and bites her lip before quickly releasing it realizing it showed her to be vulnerable, "Why the hell wont it be easy? Hell the only ones stopping it from being easy is the two of us."

Rachel's eyes widen and she stumbles around slightly with her words, "Well I mean…what about the rest of the glee club? I mean wont they be surprised if suddenly we were to be friends?"

The cheerleader smirks, "Screw the rest of them."

"You-you don't mind being seen with me?"

Santana takes a deep breath realizing just how much the bullying has affected her, "Of course not. If anything I should be asking if you mind being seen with _me_. I'm not exactly known for my."

Rachel stops her before she can even finish the thought, "I don't mind at all Santana. Maybe now Britt and I can stop trying to pretend we aren't friends."

"Wait what?"

Rachel chuckles, "Please stop playing dumb. I know a part of you always knew."

Santana shrugs, "As long as it wasn't blatantly in my face and shit I didn't care. You make her happy. She absolutely loves going to dance class with you."

Rachel chuckles, "And now I think Quinn and I don't have to pretend we're just barely civil to each other."

The cheerleader smirks, "Whatever you guys can all go be like happy tree friends now. It's totes cool. It's not like I'd have really been able to do anything about even if your friendships were all out in the open."

Rachel shakes her head, "You'd have thrown a bitch-fit, excuse my French, if they were seen conversing with me happily anywhere outside of glee club and you know it."

Santana nods her head, "Yeah. That's…I'm sorry."

Rachel smiles at her confidently, "It's alright."

Santana stands up and offers her hand to help Rachel up as well. Once standing Rachel looks up at the cheerleader curiously, not quite sure what she wants to do but knowing the look of determination on Santana's face is one she shouldn't question right now.

Santana shuts her eyes and then oh so slowly lifts her arms and opens them slightly as if offering a hug, carefully cracking open her eyes so that she's peering through her eyelashes at the shorter brunette. Rachel looks up at her with wide eyes, a small smile on her face. She quickly steps into her arms, gently and slowly lifting her own arms to fit around Santana's tiny waist as she feels Santana's arms somewhat stiffly make their way around her shoulders.

Rachel makes a conscious effort to relax herself so that she can ease Santana's stiffness and as she continues to wait for Santana to make the next move she smiles as she feels her relax and take the embrace for what it is. A beginning of a beautiful friendship.


End file.
